Do you know what the diamond shape in a buoy symbol on your nautical chart means? Could you tell the navigation meaning of a black dot or a small open circle? If you want to learn to sail like a pro, you’ll need to know these five super-important chart symbol secrets.
1. Simplified buoy body shapes
Scan the chart for diamond or “pie” shapes, which show floating navigational aids (buoys). Those marking the sides of channel edges, isolated hazards, or specific areas display a small diamond. A shape that looks like the outline of a cake pan indicates a mooring buoy, used by ships to moor. For safety, stay away from mooring buoys unless you have paid to use them!
two. Medium Multicolored Segmented Buoys
Some buoy body symbols are cut into two parts with either a horizontal or vertical line. This shows that the buoy carries more than one color. On buoys with horizontal segments, look for the abbreviations RG or GR (red-green or green-red) or BR (black-red) nearby. On buoys with vertical stripes, look for the abbreviation RW (red-white) nearby.
3. Lights stand out as exclamation points
Highlight all important light structures and lighthouses. Cartographers draw a teardrop shape with a black dot at the end, like an exclamation point. The tear has a magenta (purple) color. The black dot represents the exact position of the light. Use the latitude and longitude light symbols as waypoints on your nautical gps. This gives you a highly reliable source of navigation that you can trust.
Four. Secrets of square and triangular daytime beacons
Day beacons are simple wooden or steel piles, driven into the seabed with day boards screwed to the top on two or three sides. On your chart, they are shown as small squares or triangles. Look for the color of the daytime beacon near the symbol. R means red (triangles) and G means green (square). Watch out for the deadly white beacon. Circle any solid white square markers in bold because they are used to mark very dangerous rocks or wrecks.
5. Prominent landmarks for precise navigation
Don’t forget all those important land objects like a tank, a tower, a tower, a dome (a dome-shaped roof) and many more. Look for the ones with a small black dot circled. That means you can rely on position for navigation. On the other hand, a waypoint showing a smaller circle without a center point means “beware boater!” These are approximate positions, good for basic reference, but best not to rely on them as reference points.
Use these five super important chart navigation symbol shapes to propel your sailing skills to new heights. You’ll be well on your way to reading a nautical chart like a pro, no matter where in the world you choose to sail!